Driver ‘panicked’ after smash

Press, 16 August 1984, Page 4

Driver ‘panicked’ after smash

A disqualified driver, who panicked after being involved in an accident and did not stop, later told the Slice that his girlfriend d been driving, Mr Justice Roper was informed in the High Court yesterday. Carl Donald Mitchell, aged 18, was sentenced to eight months periodic detention, put on probation for a year aad was disqualified from driving on four charges. Mitchell had pleaded guilty in the District Court to wilfully attempting to defeat the course of justice, failing to stop

after an accident and to two charges of driving while disqualified. All the offences were committed last December.

Mr 8.. M. Stanaway appeared for the Crown. About 3.40 p.m. on December 19, Mitchell drove out of the Northlands car park into Sissons Road and collided with another car but did not stop, the police statement said. When Mitchell was interviewed by a traffic officer, he told him that the car was being driven by his girlfriend. She supported his story and was summonsed on charges of failing to give way and driving without a licence.

After the girl advised the Ministry of Transport that it was Mitchell who had been driving the car, the police were informed. Noone was injured in the accident. It was hailing heavily at the time and visibility was poor, the police statement said.

Mr K. J. Grave, for Mitchell, said that since these offences in December, his client had served a term

of corrective training on other matters and was released on August 8. His father had arranged a job for him and he was to start in two weeks. While Mitchell’s father agreed that his son had a dismal record, he was now a different person since undergoing corrective training. Mitchell’s car, the source of all the trouble, had been disposed of and the probation officer said he now appeared to be settling down, Mr Grave said.

His Honour said that he would take into account that Mitchell was only 17 at the time, that a job had been arranged for him, he had the support of his father and girlfriend, and that there had been some change in his attitude. “In those circumstances it is not a case for imprisonment but I warn you most solemnly, Mitchell, that you cannot afford to go on this way. Should you appear before the Court again for this type of offending, imprisonment will be inevitable. You have had your warning,” said Mr Justice Roper.